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Also curious, is this a contemporary way of explaining the hypostatic union?What is meant when it is said that Christ has “two energies”?
Still confused... what does this mean?I think St. Maximos the Confessor ( 7th c.)
answers this ( in regards to John 1:14) in that the Apostle John, “saw the glory of the Logos as flesh, that is, he saw the purpose for which God, full of grace and truth, became man.” ( Philokalia vol.2, 2nd C. # 76 (writings) on Theology.
So you are saying that, essentially, the divine energy is outside of space and time, but the human energy of Christ is within space and time and sanctifies all within space and time (all things) and pulls them into Himself. So we “partake of the divine nature by walking in His human nature and abiding by His Commandments and the Sacraments of The Church (aka; “good deeds”)?In Greek energy simply means active or active form. So Christ's dual energies are simply his active God form and his active human form (when I say form I don't mean in a shifting way such as modalists, merely the nature). They are unified yet maintain their unique qualities. This enables the God nature to sanctify the human nature, the human nature to become related to the God nature, and keeps a new species from being created such as the higher creature Arius believed in or the strange heretical depictions of modalists and Monophysitism.
In other words both God and man sit on the throne of Christ.
However it should be noted that energies and nature are two different things. While we can aquire the divine nature of Christ, his energies remain separated from us as they are outside of time and we are not.
Basically yes, to my understanding.So you are saying that, essentially, the divine energy is outside of space and time, but the human energy of Christ is within space and time and sanctifies all within space and time (all things) and pulls them into Himself. So we “partake of the divine nature by walking in His human nature and abiding by His Commandments and the Sacraments of The Church (aka; “good deeds”)?
“No” to what exactly?no, the Divine Energies are not separated from us in that way. they are what is communicable to man. the Divine Energies are what the Apostles saw as light on Mt Tabor at the Transfiguration.
“No” to what exactly?
So the Divine Energies are the Uncreated Light and are God Himself in His Divine Nature. However, what is the Human Energy in Christ and how does it relate to the Divine Energy in Christ that is applicable to us for Salvation so that I can understand it’s applicability to me today?
no to us only communing with Christ's human energies. because of the hypostatic union, the human energies are united to the Divine Energies (this is what the Fathers called the theandric operation). so what deifies us, to include our human energies, are the Divine Energies.
His human energy is because He is fully man.
no, the Divine Energies are not separated from us in that way. they are what is communicable to man. the Divine Energies are what the Apostles saw as light on Mt Tabor at the Transfiguration.
“No” to what exactly?
So the Divine Energies are the Uncreated Light and are God Himself in His Divine Nature. However, what is the Human Energy in Christ and how does it relate to the Divine Energy in Christ that is applicable to us for Salvation so that I can understand it’s applicability to me today?
This seems to be what I’m saying and trying to understand, yes. Quite simple, yet difficult, at the same time, haha!I think what you are saying in reply #13 is correct; to quote St. Maximos ( from the same teaching #76), “...from His fullness we always receive the grace which corresponds to each step we take along the spiritual path. Thus he who has kept the inner principle of things perfectly pure within himself will acquire the glory, full of grace and truth, of the Logos of God made flesh for us, who through His coming glorified and sanctified Himself in His human nature for our sake. For when ‘He appears,’ says Scripture, ‘we shall be like Him’ ( 1 John 3:2).”
I guess what I’m saying is (also kinda my question), is that we partake of His Human Energy when we abide in Him and His commandments and the Sacraments of the Church with our free Human Energy and because His Human Energy followed the Divine Energy perfectly, we are given the Gift to Partake of the Divine Energy and Nature that is connected to that Energy.
Is this off? If it is, can you correct my misunderstanding?
No this is my fault! Forgive me, I mixed up energies and essence
This is why lay people shouldn't teach unless blessed
So, just for curiosity’s sake (even though I know Christ has two energies; divine and human), what would change if we said He has one energy instead of the two I know He has; what would change in our reality of salvation?we would say we partake of Christ. I think you are getting too specific. so we partake of His human energies as well as His Divine Energies.
So, just for curiosity’s sake (even though I know Christ has two energies; divine and human), what would change if we said He has one energy instead of the two I know He has; what would change in our reality of salvation?